Tips on computers, software, freeware, trouble-shooting, pc's, Windows and more from me, Charles Pedley and from free newsletters that I subscribe to. If you are the owner of one of these and wish to contact me, please see Contact page on www.cpedley.com
BE AWARE THAT ALL COMMENTS WHICH ADVERTISE OTHER SITES WILL BE DELETED AT THE EDITOR'S DISCRETION. If you wish to advertise, you can ask to exchange links OR pay me for the advertising.

Haunted House 3D Screensaver - Transform Your Home Into The Creepiest Haunted House On The Block This Halloween

Kiss Your Antivirus Bloatware Goodbye

We asked users of antivirus products what they didn't like about their AV software. They told us they are resource hogs and slowed their computer down. They told us that scan times took way too long, and that the AV software nagged them. In short, old-style AV software takes too much Memory and CPU. Time to switch to VIPRE! It gives you malware protection that combines antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit and other technologies into a seamless, tightly-integrated product. Even if you run "free" antivirus software, it hijacks 20% of your PC, so it's really not free at all! Get VIPRE now and see how fast your PC can really be: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-VIPRE

Editor's Corner

Squeezing Every Last Drop out of Windows XP

Now that Windows 7 has officially launched (last Thursday, October 22), there's a perceived frenzy to rush to the new OS. Granted, many XP (and Vista) users are eager to upgrade, but others aren't convinced that they really need the new features and are wary about losing some of their old ones.

Even if you like the looks of Windows 7 and have no qualms about getting used to a new interface, now may not be the ideal time - from an economic perspective - to make the switch. After all, even if your hardware will support Windows 7, you'll still have to buy the OS itself, at a price as high as $319.99 if you pay the full package retail price for Windows 7 Ulimate to as little as $29.99, the students-only price for one copy of Windows 7 Home Premium and Pro editions through the promotional offer here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Win7-Registration

Either way, unless you have an MSDN or TechNet subscription or you hosted a Windows 7 Launch party or you have some other conditions under which you can get a free copy, if you want Windows 7 (legally), you'll have to pay for it. Budgets are tight right now and some folks can't spare the extra cash.

Regardless of your reasons, if you've decided to stick with XP for a while longer, that doesn't mean you have to resign yourself to not being able to enjoy any of the enhanced features that come with the newer operating systems. You can get many of those enhancements with free or low cost third party add-ons. For example, one of the most genuinely important new features in Windows 7 is BitLocker to Go, which lets you encrypt removable drives such as USB thumb drives to protect the data on them. Vista introduced BitLocker full volume encryption, but it didn't work on removable drives.

Just because you can't or don't want to upgrade your OS, you aren't relegated to putting your data at risk. You can encrypt USB flash drives or USB hard drives on your XP computer, as well as encrypting the partition on which Windows is installed for pre-boot authentication, using a free disk encryption program that can do much of what BitLocker and BitLocker to Go can do. One such program is TrueCrypt, which uses strong AES-256 encryption. You can find out more about it here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-TrueCrypt

Another security issue with XP is the fact that even if you install a new version of Internet Explorer, it doesn't run in "protected mode" on XP because the operating system doesn't have the User Account Control feature that relies on. Does that mean you're doomed to putting your computer at risk from malware every time you browse the web? The answer is "no": you can still use IE and protect your system by running the browser inside a "sandbox" environment that isolates it from the rest of your system. One way to do that is to install Virtual PC 2007 and install a second instance of Windows XP, then run your web browser (and any other programs that might not be safe, such as P2P file sharing programs) in the virtual machine. You'll need a license for the second copy of XP if you don't already have one, but VPC 2007 itself is a free download: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Virtual-PC-2007

Another program that can be used to isolate programs on your PC is called Sandboxie. It does require that you buy a license to get rid of the nag screen that appears after 30 days, but the license allows you to install Sandboxie on all of your computers, not just one. You can find out more about it here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-SandBoxie

A GUI change that's been highly touted in Windows 7 is called "Aero Snap." Unlike some graphical interface enhancements that are mostly eye candy, Snap is extremely useful when you want to compare two documents, web pages or other program windows side by side. Here's how it works: when you drag a window to the right or left side of your screen, it "snaps" into place and resizes itself to fill exactly half the screen. You can do the same with another window on the other side. Sure, you could put the windows in those same positions manually, but it would take a bit of tedious work. Snap completely automates the process. If you like it, you can have the Snap functionality on XP (or Vista), too. This little free program requires that you install the .NET Framework 2.0 or higher first, but it even supports multiple monitor setups: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-AeroSnap

Taskbar thumbnails were introduced in Vista and expanded upon in Windows 7. It's nice to be able to hover over a taskbar icon and see a preview of the window(s) that it represents. Again, you can do the same thing in Windows XP without paying a penny. Just install Visual Task Tips. There's even a beta for 64 bit XP. The only catch is that you have to enable the Classic theme to run it. Find out more here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Visual-Task-Tips

Or if you'd like more than just the thumbnails, here's a program that gives you transparent thumbnails, plus the ability to "pin" applications to the taskbar as you can do in Windows 7 and even a nice Window 7-like Start orb to replace the not-so-pretty XP Start button. It's called ViGlance and you can see some screenshots and download it here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-ViGlance

Another Vista/Windows 7 feature that some users love (and others hate) is the "breadcrumb" view in Windows Explorer. The nice thing about it is that you can click anywhere in the path and go directly to that folder. You guessed it - there is a way to add this same type of functionality to XP, using a little add-in called Minimalist Explorer Tool Suite that lets you navigate more quickly through the folder hierarchy. Registration costs $7.95, but you can install and use it indefinitely without registering if your budget is really tight. You can read about it and download it here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Explorer-Tool-Suite

At eight years of age, XP might be getting a little long in the tooth, but there's still plenty of life in the old gal yet - and you can get many of the same benefits that Vista and Windows 7 have without giving up the tried and true.

Tell us what you think. Do you plan to stick with XP for a few more months or years? If so, are you doing it primarily for financial reasons? Have you seen Windows 7 features that you would like to have in XP, in addition to the ones we mention here? Have you already added third party programs to expand the functionality of XP and make it more like Vista and Windows 7 in some ways? We invite you to discuss this topic in our forum at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Forum-Discussion

Follow-up: Breaking up is harder to do when you share a computer

In last week's editorial, I discussed a topic suggested by one of our readers who had recently gone through a marital breakup and found that the pain was compounded by the complications caused by sharing a computer with his spouse. I noted that the "family computer" concept has its place - especially for keeping tabs on what kids are doing online - but in many cases it may be better for the adults to have their own separate computer space. Several of our readers weighed in on the subject in the forum.

A very good suggestion was to invest in setting up a server on your home network. That has been our solution for a long time, as our network is a Windows domain running Windows Server - but for most families, the cost is not feasible. Our reader reminded me, though, that you can instead use Microsoft's Small Business Server (SBS), which is much less expensive and still allows the network administrator/parent to control what users/kids can do.

An alternative to SBS, the latest version of which retails for $1089 with 5 client access licenses, is the new Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation edition. It's only available to OEMs, which means you buy it pre-installed on a machine, but the software cost is less and it's likely you will be able to get a Foundation server computer for well under $1000. It supports up to 15 users and doesn't require CALs (if you have more than 5 users for SBS, you have to buy additional licenses at $77 per user or $385 for a five pack). As you can see in this chart, Foundation edition supports most of the same features as its Windows Server 2008 R2 "big brothers" that cost thousands of dollars: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Feature-Comparison

Why does SBS cost more? That's because it comes with Microsoft Exchange Server (email server), Windows SharePoint Services, Windows Update Services, Frontfront Security for Exchange and integration with Office Live for Small Business. The premium addition adds the SQL Server 2008 database server. But if you don't intend to run your own email server or create SharePoint sites, you can save quite a bit by going with Foundation edition of Windows Server 2008 R2 for your home domain.

It sounds as if the majority of readers who responded favor separate computers for family members, although a few have shared computers with a spouse at one time or another and there were some advocates of the family computer, in a "public" part of the house, as a means of keeping the kids in line. One forum participant pointed out another important reason to have two or more PCs in the house: if one fails, you still have a computer that you can use. Another pointed out that no matter how well you and your spouse get along, it's almost inevitable that sooner or later you'll both need (or want) to use the computer at the same time Having separate PCs solves that problem. And yet another reader noted that the kids often need to use the computer to do homework, so giving them their own may not be as much of a luxury as it sounds.

Home computers are being called upon to perform many new functions, including the consumption of homework formerly eaten by the dog. - Doug Larson

Treat your password like your toothbrush. Don't let anybody else use it and get a new one every six months. - Clifford Stoll

Never let a computer know you're in a hurry. - Author unknown.

Keep The Bad Guys Out With The Sunbelt Personal Firewall

Why do I need a firewall? Together with antivirus and antispyware, a firewall is a "must" to protect your computer. PC Magazine gave the Sunbelt Personal Firewall a "Very Good" rating with 4 Stars and a conclusion of "good protection". Check out the Reviews on the site and it will be clear why you need the Sunbelt Personal Firewall to protect your PC. One good example: Unlike the Windows XP and Vista Firewall, you can tell the Sunbelt Personal Firewall to look carefully at the data leaving your browser, so that sensitive information like your credit card numbers, email address, bank account, social security number and PIN code do not get stolen by hackers! http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-SPF

What's the most annoying thing about reinstalling your operating system? Hunting down, downloading and reinstalling all those applications, right? You probably have the discs for your commercial programs, but if you're like most of us, there may be dozens of freeware apps that you use and they're scattered all over the web. Well, here's at least a partial solution to that problem: it's called Ninite and it contains a catalog of popular free software programs. You simply check the boxes for the ones you want and it will automatically install them all without any help from you (choosing default settings and refusing add-ons). Find out more about it in Aric Annear's blog post here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Easiest-Hack-Ever

First Microsoft Store opens in Arizona

Microsoft held the grand opening for its first Microsoft retail store last Thursday (not so coincidentally, on the same day Windows 7 was officially released) in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was an apparent success, with "throngs" of people showing up to browse the aisles of Microsoft software and hardware products. More stores will be opening soon. Personally, I was never that impressed with the Apple Stores and I won't be hunting down a bricks and mortar outlet to buy my Microsoft products either, but some folks actually like to shop. What about you? http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Microsoft-Store

"Soft" Kindle for your PC

Having been successful in marketing their Kindle hardware device for reading electronic books, Amazon is now planning to release a Kindle application that you can install on your PC to serve the same purpose. This actually makes more sense to me than buying and carrying around a special purpose device; now you can just load the app on your laptop and read ebooks using the same hardware you use to check your email, browse the web and do other work. It might even help the sales of tablet PCs, since that form factor is especially fitted to reading. Find out more here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Kindle-for-PC

Happy birthday to the Internet

Although it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when the Internet began, many claim October 29, 1969 - when the first message was sent across it. If we go with that, the birth of the Internet missed falling on Bill Gates' birthday by only one day, although Bill (born October 28, 1955) is a few years older. This means that this week the Internet turns forty. They grow up so darn fast. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-40th-Birthday

How To: Using XP Features

How to get rid of the QuickTime icon in the XP system tray

QuickTime is annoying to me on many levels. It always seems to mess up something when I install it on a computer, and when it updates itself, it always tries to trick me into installing iTunes, which I do not want. Another annoyance is that it installs itself into the system tray without asking if I want it there. Luckily, it's pretty easy to remove its icon. Here's how:

Right click the QuickTime icon in the system tray

Click QuickTime Preferences

Click the Advanced tab

Close to the bottom of the page, click to uncheck the box that says "Install QuickTime icon in system tray"

Security News

Phones are becoming a target for virus and malware authors

With so many people now carrying iPhones and other "smart phones" that are basically handheld computers, the devices have become a much more attractive target for the bad guys who write viruses and other malicious software. Folks are now using their phones to pay bills, make purchases and engage in other financial transactions, which means an opportunity for hackers to steal passwords and identity information that can be lucrative for them. Get ready for a time when you need to install antivirus protection on your phone. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Smartphone-Security

XP Question Corner

Is there a way to remove the built-in Search bar in IE 7?

QUESTION:
I use Windows XP with IE7. I have my Yahoo toolbar that I downloaded and use it to do searches. IE 7 has a search field that's built in (unlike IE 6). I don't use it or need it. Is there a way that I can take out the built-in one? Thanks! - Ricky T.

ANSWER:
I like the built-in search box that Microsoft introduced with Internet Explorer 7, but if you use some other toolbar, you might not. You can remove it by editing the registry. As always, back up the registry before you make changes to it. Here are the instructions for the edit:

Right click an empty space in the right pane, and select New and then DWORD value

Name the new value NoSearchBox

Double click the new value and set the value data to 1

Close the registry editor

Now your Search box should be hidden.

XP Configuration and Troubleshooting

Can't open MMC in localized version of XP SP3

If you have a localized version of Windows XP with Service Pack 3 installed, you might find that you can't open some of the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins. When you try to do so, you get an error message that says "MMC could not create the snap-in." This happens because of a problem with the MMC 3.0 .dll files. There's a hotfix available for the problem. To find out how to get it, see KB article 957502 at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-MMC-Snap-Ins

You get a blank screen when resuming from hibernation

If you're running Windows XP SP3, when you resume the system from hibernation you might get a blank screen instead of the normal Windows splash screen. This is actually a known issue with XP SP3 and there's basically nothing you can do about it. It does not indicate a problem; even though the screen is blank, the system is resuming from hibernation normally so just allow it to continue and you will see the desktop displayed. For documentation, see KB article 972817 at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Resuming-From-Hibernation

Fav Links

This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff

Disclaimer: WXPNews does not assume and cannot be responsible for any liability related to you clicking any of these linked Web sites.

Haunted House 3D Screensaver - Transform Your Home Into The Creepiest Haunted House On The Block This Halloween

Get into the Halloween mood with the Haunted House 3D Screensaver! Behold the gothic-inspired gorgeously sinister landscape of the mysterious castle, twisted old trees forming fantastic silhouettes against the huge full moon, and the old graveyard. All of our darkest fears are elevated to a new level with this screensaver. The dark, the unknown, the creepy, the horrible and the sinister. The Haunted House will send chills up your spine and make the hair stand up on your visitors necks as they listen to the sounds of the unknown emanate from your home. It's not what's seen but "the unseen" that chills the bones. Cast a scary shadow of moving things all over your living room in either normal or wide screen mode as your Halloween visitor line up to get their treats. Download the free trial from the famous collection of 3D masterpieces. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091027-Halloween-Screensaver

About WXPnews

What Our Lawyers Make Us Say
These documents are provided for informational purposes only. The information contained in this document represents the current view of Sunbelt Software on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Sunbelt must respond to changes in market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Sunbelt and Sunbelt cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication.

INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT.

This newsletter and website and may contain links to other websites with whom we have a business relationship. Sunbelt Software does not review or screen these sites, and we are not responsible or liable for their privacy or data security practices, or the content of these sites. Additionally, if you register with any of these sites, any information that you provide in the process of registration, such as your email address, credit card number or other personally identifiable information, will be transferred to these sites. For these reasons, you should be careful to review any privacy and data security policies posted on any of these sites before providing information to them.

The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. This document may be copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All text must be copied without modification and all pages must be included; 2) All copies must contain Sunbelt's copyright notice and any other notices provided therein; and 3) This document may not be distributed for profit. All trademarks acknowledged. Copyright Sunbelt Software, Inc. 1996-2009.

WXPnews Archives
Looking for a past issue? Missing an issue? Accidently deleted an issue? Trying to find that article that pointed you to that cool site? All our newsletters are archived and are searchable:http://www.wxpnews.com/archives.cfm

About Your Subscription to WXPnews
This is a posting from WXPnews. You are subscribed as charles@cpedley.com.
To manage your profile, please visit our site by clicking on the following link:http://www.wxpnews.com/profile.cfm?wxp=3UDXV2

Saturday, October 24, 2009

TOP 8 FREEWARE ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE: COMPARED
by Dennis Faas
Infopackets.com Senior Editorhttp://www.infopackets.com
--
About Infopackets and our Top 10 Tech Reports
Our Top 10 Tech Reports highlight The Best of The Best Q&A (questions
and answers) from our newsletter readers -- with no frills, Simple
English, and straight to the point instruction -- while featuring the
coolest and best free resources on the web.
If you find this report useful, please be sure to pass it on to a few
friends!
--
Many of our Readers ask, "why should I pay for antivirus software when
I get it freeware antivirus online for free?"
The answer of course depends on a number of factors.
I personally use Symantec Norton AntiVirus on my system, largely
because Symantec has an excellent reputation for quickly implementing
fixes to newly-discovered virus threats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RE: Simple Protection versus Suite Protection
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't prefer to use the "all-in-1" security suite models for two
reasons: they tend to be in-your-face / overkill for average to
advanced computer users, and they slow the computer down tremendously
because they are constantly scanning anything and everything for a
possible infection.
If you use common sense about the web sites you visit and don't
download every file that comes your way, you should do well with
standard (free) antivirus or antispyware protection.
For folks that share a PC with others or can't always monitor what is
being downloaded / installed to their PC, then an all-in-1 paid suite
is recommended.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RE: Free Protection versus Paid Protection
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're thinking about moving to a freeware antivirus solution,
there are many on the market and they all do mostly the same thing; I
have provided a list of the most popular at the end of this article.
While freeware antivirus solutions are great for users with little or
no budget, keep in mind that the advantage of paid antivirus
subscriptions is that they can often detect the absolute latest
threats (called "0-day threats"), whereas freeware antivirus
protection may be a few days behind or offer limited removal of the
infection.
For example: it may only offer a quarantine of the infected file,
versus actual removal of the infection. Note that once a file is
quarantined, your computer won't allow you to access it due to its
high risk of infecting other files.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RE: Heuristics
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also note that most all antivirus (and anti-spyware) programs rely on
heuristics or "signatures" and are unable to detect or remove viruses
/ malware that they don't already know about. In other words, you have
to update the software regularly or you won't be protected against the
latest threats.
With that said, here are my picks for best freeware antivirus:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition ~ Free ~ Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The granddaddy of free antivirus, AVG provides basic protection
against spyware and viruses.
- basic antivirus / spyware protection
- automated / scheduled updates / quarantine
- realtime scanning
- safe search web browser protection
- no: firewall, rootkit, anti-spam
- full suite offered (paid)http://free.avg.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Comodo AntiVirus ~ Free ~ Windows 2000/XP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the website: Comodo Antivirus has all the functionality of a paid
AV without the price! No licenses, upgrades, or any hidden costs.
- uses little system resources
- automated / scheduled updates / quarantine
- realtime scanning
- daily updates
- email and network scanninghttp://antivirus.comodo.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
a-squared Free ~ Free ~ Windows 98/ME/XP/2000/2003
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the site: Remove infections of Trojans, Spyware, Adware, Worms,
Keyloggers, Rootkits, Dialers and other malicious programs.
- award winning software
- easy to use
- automated / scheduled scan
- daily updates
- realtime antivirus and malware protectionhttp://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ClamWin ~ Free ~ Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ClamWin has been around for a long time and is open-source.
- automatic / scheduled scans
- realtime scanning
- shell integration
- email scanner for MS Outlookhttp://www.clamwin.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BitDefender Free Edition ~ Free ~ Windows 98/NT4/Me/2000/XP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the site: BitDefender Free Edition uses the same ICSA Labs
certified scanning engines found in other BitDefender products,
allowing you to enjoy basic virus protection for no cost.
- automatic / scheduled scans
- realtime scanning
- skinable interface
- quarantine infected files
- reports provide statisticshttp://www.bitdefender.com/PRODUCT-14-en--BitDefender-Free-Edition.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
avast! Virus Cleaner ~ Windows 9x/ME/NT4/XP/2000
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avast! Virus Cleaner is a free tool that will help you remove selected
virus and worm infections from your computer AFTER your computer is
infected.http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-virus-cleaner.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
avast! 4 Home Edition ~ FREE (home/personal) ~ Windows
9x/ME/NT4/2000/XP/Vista
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avast! 4 Home Edition is a free complete ICSA certified antivirus
software for home noncommercial use.
- award winning software
- automatic / scheduled scans
- realtime scanning
- email and browser protection
- updates roughly twice a week
- shell integration: right click a file to scan in Explorerhttp://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avira AntiVir Personal ~ FREE (home/personal) ~ Windows
9x/Me/NT/2000/XP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the site: Avira AntiVir Personal - FREE Antivirus is a reliable
free antivirus solution, that constantly and rapidly scans your
computer for malicious programs such as viruses, Trojans, backdoor
programs, hoaxes, worms, dialers etc. Monitors every action executed
by the user or the operating system and reacts promptly when a
malicious program is detected.
- award winning software
- automatic / scheduled scans
- realtime scanning
- support is free of charge via AntiVir Bulletin Board
- no: browser or email protectionhttp://www.free-av.com/en/products/index.html
=========================================================
If you find this report useful, please forward it to friends!
--
Get more great tips -- just like this one -- by subscribing to our
daily email newsletter. Established in 2001 and read by over 250,000
users world-wide, infopackets features the latest in headline news
based on technology, trends and the Internet.
Best of all, it's absolutely FREE!http://www.infopackets.com/subscribe.htm
=========================================================
Copyright (c) Infopackets, Inc.
No part of this article may be copied without the express written
consent of the publisher.

Exploring Windows brings you tips, tricks, downloads, and updates to help you get the most out of Windows. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe to the Exploring Windows newsletter. You can find additional Windows tips, tricks, and how-to's on the Exploring Windows website.

7 ways to simplify your life with Windows 7

You told us to make Windows simpler and easier to use. We listened. Windows 7 has better ways to find and manage files to help you speed through everyday tasks. It's designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC works just the way you want it to. Get to know Windows 7, and see how it can simplify just about everything you do with your PC.

Calling all multi-taskers - new desktop enhancements make working with multiple windows on your desktop easier. Want to maximize a window? Just drag its border to the top of the screen. Read more about improvements to the desktop.

One way to simplify your PC is to customize how your desktop looks and acts. Windows 7 gives you ample ways to do that, from controlling what appears in your Start menu to personalizing themes. Read more about customizing your desktop.

Say good-bye to that hodgepodge of cables and USB drives. HomeGroup, a new feature in Windows 7, lets you share files, photos, and music among your home PCs as if all the data was on a single hard disk drive. Learn more about this feature.

8/19/2009, Andre
Did you just make the move from Windows XP to Windows 7? To help make the transition a smooth one, here is a quick guide to help familiarize yourself with some of the changes and benefits...

10/3/2009, Robert
The new Pin feature in Windows 7, which replaces the quick launch feature of previous versions of Windows, lets you organize your favorite and often-used programs on your Taskbar or in your Start menu...

8/3/2009, Windows Media Center Team
Windows Media Center has tapped into the new HomeGroup feature to provide a smoother experience for sharing media between Windows 7-based PCs. Here I'll focus on sharing recorded television content...

7/24/2009, Barb
In my opinion, the Play To/streaming enhancements in Windows 7 are some of the coolest new features in Windows 7. Anyone, novices included, should be able to use and have fun with this technology set...

Dancho Danchev: A programmer has released the source code of a trojan horse that injects code into the Skype process in order to convert the incoming and outgoing voice data into an encrypted MP3 available at the disposal of the attacker.

I am a former teacher who knows great software. I gave seminars on the topic!

Simon Hensby is a successful "failure" in my eyes. He gave up his regular job because his autistic kid was having trouble and could not cope in regular school. He lived on part-time jobs just to keep going.

In the meantime he was creating useful educational software that an autistic child could use. Now millions of people and schools enjoy what he sacrificed to create!

WATCH OUT FOR CREDIT CARD SCAMS LIKE THIS!!!

Group Blogs and Websites for Free

Added Comment: Blastgroups provides lots of freebies. However it has a confusing interface. I have been doing computers since the 70's and it IS confusing to me. However if you can wade through, you will get LOTS of great stuff for your group. - Computer Doc
Blastgroups
Claims that it is FREE and you can ...
Create a free website for your:
Sports Team–Club–Family–Friends
Church–Work–School–Organization
What can you add to a BlastGroup?
Calendars – Photo Albums – Forums – Blogs
Email Lists – Videos – Audio – Links – Files
I just discovered this site and have NOT tried them. If you try them and have some comments, they are certainly VERY WELCOME! I am signing up today so that I can see how it works and report back to you.
The other one I am familiar with like this is Airset.com. I loved airset until I realized that geeks like me would have no problem with it BUT perhaps the average computer user may.
-Charles

The Best Hosting Site

iSoftwareReviews

Checkout the Store! NOT just Microsoft! Deals Galore!!

PcWinTech.com™

Networking?

Your Reputation

It only takes a careless lack of UPDATING your INTERNET SECURITY SOFTWARE or not being careful what you write in an EMAIL which is NOT SECURE and YOUR REPUTATION COULD BE MESSED UP. And how about KEEPING YOUR KIDS SAFE from PREDATORS? This may be worth it!

In 1987 I started my home computer business from where I sold, built, serviced, repaired computers until about 2001 when I felt that this was enough. When I started name-brand computers cost up to $500 more than custom-built. That changed around the year 2000.

I went online and sold church software, hardware, projectors, Microsoft licenses, Kaspersky licenses to churches and ministries worldwide as far away as Seoul, Korea!

Sold that business in 2006 even though I still do it a bit.

Have you ever bought a computer or something else that the salesman pictured as really nice and EXACTLY what you needed. Later you discovered that he had been pushing it a bit.

What we do. We KNOW the right questions to ask, the most reliable computers to buy, the best software to use for various purposes. We have 3 plans.

Plan 1 - We simply listen to you, ask questions and send you off on your own with our recommendations. You buy it yourself. $47 [Comes with disk of FREE QUALITY SOFTWARE!]

Plan 2 - In addition to above, we survey the situation and find you a computer or two that fits the purposes you told us about. You purchase. $67

Plan 3 - In addition to Plan 2, we purchase the computer for you. We set it up for you with appropriate security software and whatever software you need. You come and get it. We take 1/2 to 1 hour explaining what we have set up. $87

Plan 4 - Added to Plan 3, we deliver and set up your computer for you in your home or office. $117.

No taxes added for services!!! Save at least 8% or more.No cost to inquire! Call Charles at 905-228-2161 or email me at charles@cpedley.com

What are you waiting for -- become a CFS "lifer" now, or try out the site with a 1-month, 1-year or 2-year membership. We are still half the price of most other sites and I think we offer the best value for your hard earned dollar.

Is your CFS membership going to expire soon? If you wish to extend an existing membership (without creating a new account) read this FAQ:

As a special offer to newsletter subscribers, anyone with a current 1-year membership can update to a Lifetime membership for just $25. Members with a current 2-year membership can update to Lifetime for just $15.

Please note that this is for current members only and can be used at any time during the period of a membership. Don't put it off because this offer may not continue indefinitely.

Make the appropriate payment ($25 or $15) using your credit card and tell us your username so we know which account to update. Click on this address to update your membership through PayPal: